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RE: Why 'Rational faith' Is An Oxymoron
May 26, 2009 at 11:48 am
(This post was last modified: May 26, 2009 at 11:49 am by chatpilot.)
There is no such thing as rational faith! I agree it is an oxymoron it kind of reminds me of a trip to a book store once.I was perusing through the religious section and came across a book entitled 'Christian Thought' and I literally laughed out loud in the store and had to control myself.If christians did think at all then trust me imo there would be no christians in existence today.Religion is a vestige of primitive thinking that has survived to this day like an unwanted and unnecessary appendage.
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RE: Why 'Rational faith' Is An Oxymoron
May 26, 2009 at 2:25 pm
There are some instances where faith can be rational. But religious faith, never.
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RE: Why 'Rational faith' Is An Oxymoron
May 26, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Yes.
Consider this statement.
"I have faith that a personal god does not exist."
Would you say that that was irrational?
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RE: Why 'Rational faith' Is An Oxymoron
May 26, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Faith=belief in the absence of evidence. Which is irrational. Not DISbelief in the absence of evidence - that's the opposite! And of course, rational!
What's the opposite to believing in something? NOT believing in something!
They're the opposite.
Believing in something without evidence is IRrational...is "faith" - NOT believing in something without evidence is the opposite - and rational!
Once again..they're the opposite. The first is irrational, having faith - and to call it 'rational' would make it an oxymoron because "faith" isn't irrational (because it's belief IN something without evidence - it's not DISbelief without evidence!) - the 2nd is simply dismissing a belief because there's NO evidence to SUPPORT it!
It's irrational, it's "faith"; to BELIEVE without evidence...IN something...without evidence - not to DISbelieve something altogether without evidence!
That's the opposite! That's the alternative...just think - what's the alternative to believing in something without evidence? NOT believing in something without evidence! A disbelief is the opposite!
EvF
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RE: Why 'Rational faith' Is An Oxymoron
May 26, 2009 at 3:00 pm
But I'm not disbelieving, I'm saying that I believe in the absence of a personal god.
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RE: Why 'Rational faith' Is An Oxymoron
May 26, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Without evidence? It's the same thing and it's rational.
You believe there is no God without evidence...
In other words you disbelieve in the existence of God without evidence... - that's rational!
That's the opposite to faith because faith would be to literally believe in God's existence without evidence - which is fucking IRrational!
Faith is a belief in SOMETHING - without evidence. Not merely rejecting a belief.
And belief in the absence of God is not belief in something...so it's not a belief, it's a disbelief.
Because you cannot believe in the absence of something and it NOT be a DISbelief - because the ABSENCE of something is not something! It's the very opposite!
Darkness, being absence of light - isn't light! It's absence of light! Darkness isn't something....it's the absence of something - namely light, etc.
EvF
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RE: Why 'Rational faith' Is An Oxymoron
May 26, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I have faith that you'll always come back with an answer but one day I'll think of something...